Pupil s Strength & Fitness Program Pupil Health and Wellbeing Pupil Heal and Well- By Dean Suleyman and David Morrison
Contents Purpose 1 Coaching philosophy.. 1 Session details 2 Main training objectives. 2 Assessment methods 3 Warm up 4 Core weightlifting exercises 5 Circuit training. 7 Cool down challenge 8 Extra activities 9
Purpose The main purpose of this program is to develop a solid fitness foundation; by fitness we mean aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, motor coordination and mobility. A strong fitness foundation will decrease risk of injury and improve health and athletic capability. The project will also contribute to the development of emotional, mental, and social wellbeing of the students. Coaching Philosophy Our approach to strength and fitness as well as health and wellbeing is to concentrate on core exercises and training principles that develop a solid foundation of physical conditioning. This foundation will help students to perform sport activities to the best of their abilities. We believe that the practice makes perfect rule is essential to this development. It is only through repetition that students can master the fundamental exercises which maximise potential to excel in sports. We also recognise that exercise and fitness activities should go further than developing athletes. Frequent exercise is crucial for human wellbeing. Physical activity helps to regulate weight, prevent chronic diseases, and improve cognitive skills and mental health. Moreover, a regular exercise routine can help to build key qualities in young people such as selfdiscipline, grit and perseverance. We also think that creating a positive learning environment for students is important. Students should always feel supported and encouraged by their teachers if they are to learn and perform to the best of their abilities. For this reason, we feel that it is important to continuously give constructive feedback to students and ensure that every session is interactive. We believe that a positive learning environment is the best way to ensure students remain motivated and committed to the program. 1
Session Details Class size 25-30 Session time 60 minutes Number of sessions per class 6 Class structure - Warm up - Weightlifting - Circuit training - Cool down / challenge Main Training Objectives 1. To improve aerobic endurance This includes any form of activity that sustains a raised heart rate for a period of time. For example, running, circuit training, and using cardio equipment. 2. To improve muscular strength and endurance. Bodyweight and weight training exercises, for example, push ups, sit ups, Barbell squats and deadlifts. 3. To improve movement patterns We use various Joint mobility and flexibility drills which include core strength and balance exercises. 4. To improve knowledge Develop understanding of how the body works and the benefits of exercise. 5. To motivate students to participate to their full ability Sessions should be fun, rewarding and interactive. 2
Assessment Methods Teacher observation assess the progress and ability of students by observing their technique and ability to perform each fitness activity. Peer observation students observe their peer s technique and also explain how errors can be corrected. Questioning / quiz assess student s knowledge of fitness training. Question examples: - How do you prepare the body for physical activity? - Why is joint mobility important? - What are the main muscles used to squat? - What exercises work the triceps? 3
Warm Up Each session begins with a 25 minute warm up which starts with a 15 minute joint mobility and stretch routine and ends with a 10 minute pulse raiser. The joint mobility and stretch routine goes further than just preparing the body for exercise or injury prevention. It is also addresses poor movement by increasing range of motion throughout the body and improves joint health. The routine is also designed to improve flexibility, motor control and core strength, thus making it an essential element of the program. 4
The routine consists of numerous exercises to mobilize the ankles, knees, hips, waist, thoracic spine, elbows, shoulders and neck. The pulse raiser slowly increases the heart rate and raises the temperature of muscles. This temporarily improves range of motion and supplies muscles with more energy which is important to reduce risk of injury. The pulse raiser consists of jogging combined with high knees, but kicks and sprints. Core Weight Lifting Exercises The weightlifting element consists of mastering 3 core exercises: Barbell squats Barbell deadlift Barbell standing shoulder press We have chosen these exercises because collectively they strengthen all the major muscles of the body, improve flexibility and mobility, and enhance balance and stability. Moreover, these exercises are functional movements that have a high crossover to most sports. 5
Our first goal is to get students to master these movements with just their bodyweight; Hence, the class will be given an in depth demonstration of the exercises with clear teaching points, and then they will practice the movements until they are proficient with the technique. The next step will be to introduce weights. Each student will be given a 4kg or 5kg Barbell and performs 2 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. Whilst weight progression is an important part of weight training, we feel that it is more important for young students to concentrate on mastering the technique. Hence, teacher observation and meaningful feedback is crucial to ensure that students progress with the exercises. Moreover, we get students to assess their peers by pointing out what is right and wrong with their technique. 6
Circuit Training Circuit training is used to provide a muscular strength and endurance, and cardiovascular workout. The circuit comprises of 4 bodyweight exercises that collectively target the whole body as well as the cardiovascular system. These exercises include squats, burpees, push ups, sit ups, star jumps, lunges, planks etc. The class is divided into four groups and each group is sent to one of the four exercises. Then they will be given a demonstration of each exercise. Each exercise will be performed for 60 seconds with the aim of performing as many repetitions as possible within the time. We also encourage the students to complete one exercise after the other without rest in order to enhance the cardiovascular benefits. Once the circuit has been completed, the class will have a 60 second rest before completing the circuit a second time. 7
Cool Down Challenge Our last child standing challenge is a fun and engaging way to bring the class to an end. During the challenge the students have to respond to 5 commands whilst jogging on the spot. Each command is represented by a number, which the teacher shouts out, and the students must respond instantly to them. Commands 1) Touch the floor with the left hand 2) Touch the floor with the right hand 3) Touch the floor with both hands 4) Jump with hands to the ceiling 5) Sprint on the spot for 5 seconds Students are knocked out of the challenging if they respond incorrectly to a number, or if they take too long to respond. This is continued untill there is one student left who will receive a small prize. There are several benefits to the challenge. One, it improves motivation and participation; two, it encourages gentle competition which conduces concentration and effort; Three, the students leave the class feeling excited; four, it improves reaction time and coordination. 8
Extra Activities In addition to the weekly sessions, each class will have one gym session and one Yoga class. The gym sessions are important because they introduce students to a broader range of ways to exercise than our weekly sessions in the studio. These sessions consist of using cardio equipment and free weights. The students are divided into two groups. One group will work out on the cardio machines whilst the other group will use the free weights, and then they will swap activities after 20 minutes. For the cardio workout, the students will spend 15 minutes on each machine (upright bike and rowing machine) under the guidance of the teacher. After giving a brief demonstration, the teacher will adjust the resistance levels 9
according to each student s ability, and encourage them to maintain a determined RPM. The free weight workout focuses on the use of dumbbells and targets the whole body. The students follow the teacher s example and do 10 15 repetition of various exercises. These exercises include: Squats Deadlifts Push press Renegade rows Bicep curls Lunges Yoga was implemented into the program because we thought it would be good to introduce the students to an alternative way to exercise and keep fit. We feel this is important because the more options people have for participating in health and fitness activities, the more chances there are for a person to find at least one activity that they really enjoy, and therefore, continue to exercise throughout their lives. We believe yoga is a good option due to its numerous benefits, which includes improving flexibility, mobility, posture, mental health and mindfulness. 10